Berbice cop under close arrest for Old Year’s night fatal accident

Jan 03, 2017 News

A policeman is now under close arrest following an accident involving a car being driven by the

Killed: Navendranauth Ragnandan

rank on Old Year’s Night that resulted in the death of a labourer at Bush Lot Village, Corentyne, Berbice.
Dead is Navendranauth Ragnandan also known as ‘RZ’ 37 of Bushlot Village Corentyne.
According to information gathered the car driven by the Policeman was traveling east at a fast rate. Rajnandan had just completed a conversation with Hemraj Latchman; a farmer and was about to head back home when in a split second the vehicle came slamming into him.
He reportedly died minutes after being hurled several feet from the point of impact.
Latchman reported that they had just completed a discussion when he proceeded to turn away. “When I spin around I see the man in the air”. Rajnandan landed some 30 feet from where he was hit. Hemraj said the car was at the time being driven by a police officer and stopped 200 meters away.
“The man was speeding and he didn’t want the brakes impression to show how fast he was going, so he slow down till he stop,” he said.
Divisional Commander, Assistant Commissioner, Ian Amsterdam, told this publication that the officer was tested and found not to be above the legal limit of alcohol consumption. He stated that a file is being prepared to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions shortly.
Meanwhile, the dead man’s wife, Diawattie Bissember, also called ‘Kim’ stated that she was at home when she heard the impact didn’t think much of it. “Me sister-in-law dem run out and when me go fo run out them tell me na go, so me stay.”
She said shortly after she received the dreadful news that her husband was involved in an accident. “They go and see he but dem na carry me… When ah see mi husband he did lie down on a stretcher at Port Mourant Hospital, and then dem take he and carry he to the funeral parlour,” the woman stated.

Wife of deceased: Diawattie Bissember

According to the grieving wife, on Monday she ventured to the Whim Police Station and was shown the suspect. She said officers told them that that they were not able to get statements from anyone who witnessed the accident.
However the Commander refuted these claims reassuring that the police are in receipt of a statement from an eyewitness. He said the police are treating the matter as they would with other matters where civilians are the suspect.
The grieving wife while speaking to this publication remembered their last moments together, Bissember said during the day (Old Year’s Day) he assisted with the cooking.
“About 2 o’clock time he tell me say that he gon go and shy paddy and I ent seen him back.” She said they had planned to have spent the last hours of the year together. “Ah tell he that I gon buy some beer and when he come back me an he gon sit down and drink it home, but I ent see he back…”
The couple have two children aged 16 and nine years old.
A post mortem is expected to be performed on the body today.